"Since you have experience, why don't you go yourselves?"
Annika listened for a long time, not understanding why Old John and his companion, both so experienced, would choose to hire explorers for escort this time.
Yes, Old John and his companion came here hoping that explorers would escort them to Hope City.
"Firstly, because we are getting old, and the surrounding cities are very chaotic now, we are worried about something happening."
They didn't want anything to happen to them before they found their daughter; at least until they saw her, old John hoped they would both be safe and sound.
Annika nodded in understanding.
Old John paused, considered for a moment, and then said, "Secondly, we hope that after the explorers send us to Hope City, they can go and take a look around the Barren Lands."
“My relative told me that someone saw a girl with black hair and black eyes wandering around the barren land. You know, there are very few people like us, so we wanted to go and take a look around there.”
Of course, we also know that barren lands are desolate and surrounded by dangers.
Going to Hope City is fine, but going to the Barren Lands definitely requires a generous reward!
Annika, we understand business is business!
Annika raised an eyebrow, surprised that Old John was so perceptive.
“So,” she said, resting her chin on her hand and looking curiously at the two ordinary-looking old men, John and his companion, “what is your payment?”
Annika knew that Old John had amassed a considerable fortune over the years by selling alcohol, but while the pay for going to Hope City might not be high, the pay for going to the Barrens would be substantial.
Aside from a bunch of crazy, whimsical explorers obsessed with the Barrens, most explorers with normal thinking wouldn't be foolish enough to go there.
It's not like I'm so full that I want to experience the feeling of being hungry.
Therefore, unless there is a generous reward, no one is willing to go to barren lands.
Old John, of course, knew all this too.
He held up five fingers and waved them in front of Annika.
"Fifty gold coins."
Annika's expression remained unchanged, but her tone was somewhat listless: "Going to Hope City is more than enough, but taking the two of you to the vicinity of the Barrens is far from sufficient."
Old John's expression remained unchanged regarding Annika's attitude.
He smiled without saying a word, took a small package from his pocket, placed it in front of Annika, and gestured for her to open it and take a look.
The small package slumped down heavily, making a crisp "ding-dong" sound as old John placed it on the bar.
Annika knew from the sound that it contained gold coins. She glanced at the package in front of her, then at Old John.
Seeing that Old John's expression remained unchanged, he still gestured for Annika to open it and take a look.
"If it's just gold coins, that's not good. We won't accept missions without something substantial, not even if you offer fine wine!"
Annika muttered to herself as she casually opened the package.
The moment she opened it, a dazzling light burst forth, so bright that Annika involuntarily closed her eyes. However, she didn't forget to immediately close the package, clearly indicating that it contained a rare treasure.
Once the blinding sensation subsided, Annika immediately opened her eyes and looked around.
Fortunately, no one paid much attention to Old John. After Annika's merciless rebuke, everyone went back to chatting and drinking.
Therefore, no one noticed anything unusual about this place.
Annika breathed a sigh of relief, clutched the package tightly in her hands, and then winked at Old John.
"Come with me."
The sound was so soft and faint that if you weren't paying attention, you might think you were hallucinating.
Fortunately, old John had been paying attention to Annika's changing gaze and didn't miss this moment.
He nodded to Ella, then followed Annika toward a nearby meeting room.
Although a small number of explorers prefer to work alone and have a lone-wolf style, the Explorers' Association has ultimately brought together the majority of explorers.
This has led to the increasing financial resources required for the Explorers' Association to operate.
Relying solely on the explorers' own exploration and the trading of information would be insufficient to cover their expenses.
Therefore, the Explorers' Guild would also accept missions issued by nobles or governors in exchange for certain resources. Of course, if commoners could afford the price, explorers would be happy to serve.
Therefore, "explorers" in big cities are usually located at the intersection of commoners and nobles.
It serves both as a place for nobles to post tasks and as a place for weary adventurers to rest, since only a few adventurers are of noble birth and have their own family's temporary resting place.
To protect the privacy of those who issue missions, in addition to the main hall where "explorers" can hold lively discussions, there are also several meeting rooms available for their use.
Annika led Old John into one of these meeting rooms.
However, Annika wasn't protecting Old John's privacy; she was protecting what she was currently clutching tightly in her hands.
If she wasn't mistaken about the treasure in her hand, then the two missions issued by Old John would surely attract explorers in droves.
Annika pushed open the door to the adjacent reception room, gesturing for Old John and his companion to come in. After they entered, she glanced outside for a moment, and seeing that no one was paying attention to what was happening, she quietly closed the door.
The reception room is not large and simply furnished, with only a long table and two chairs on each side for people to sit down.
Annika closed the door and gestured for Old John and the other man to sit down, while she sat opposite them.
Annika gently placed the package she was clutching tightly on the table, then slowly exhaled to calm her excited emotions.
She carefully opened the package, and a dazzling light shone out again, but fortunately it dissipated soon after.
Having prepared beforehand, Annika wasn't blinded by the sudden light this time, but she unconsciously held her breath.
Once the light faded, Annika coughed violently, not even bothering to catch her breath, and carefully took out the treasure that had just emitted such a dazzling light from her pack.
This is a small pearl; its dazzling brilliance has faded, leaving only a warm, gentle glow around it.
Upon seeing this, Annika was overwhelmed with excitement.
"The Pearl of East!"
This is actually East's pearl!
Although East is famous for its pearls, the pearls currently circulating in the market are only ordinary pearls, which can only be used for decoration.
But it was Old John's pearl that made Eastbourne famous!
What makes this pearl special is that when it is moved from darkness to light, it will flash with dazzling light for a moment, and when the light fades, the pearl itself will emit a halo.
This halo is the energy emitted by the pearl after absorbing elements from the sea; cultivators can achieve twice the results with half the effort by absorbing this energy.
As Anika pondered the properties of the Esther Pearl, she couldn't help but trace a pearly halo with her fingertips.
These are pearls with a bluish sheen; their deep blue color is truly mesmerizing.
Annika drew out a wisp of blue light and slowly inhaled it. She felt the blue light disappear quickly after entering her body, and then a wisp of water element within her body seemed to rise out of nowhere.
Annika's eyes lit up; this was the real East Pearl.
Annika herself is a cultivator, with a natural affinity for the water element. So even with just a tiny amount, she can feel a slight increase in the water element within her body. However, her talent is not particularly high; otherwise, if she had an extraordinary talent, the effect might have been even more outstanding.
Annika reached into the package again and pulled out a pearl with an earthy yellow glow. It was clearly an Ist pearl that had absorbed the earth element.
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